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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

TVKiese’s annual Holiday Program Guide is here!

91.7 WVXU | By John Kiesewetter

Published November 28, 2022 at 7:09 PM EST

After making my list, and checking it twice, I can confirm: Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town!

Again.

I’ve also tracked down most all the old Christmas cartoon classics for my 36th Holiday Program Guide: Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas; Frosty the Snowman; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol; The Little Drummer Boy; Pinocchio’s Christmas; Jack Frost; ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas; Prep & Landing — even Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.

And I can tell you when and where you can enjoy a Full House of holiday Cheers with your TV Friends — from Andy Griffith and the Addams Family to The Twilight Zone. You’ll have Happy Days watching the Brady Bunch, The Waltons, The Honeymooners, Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke, Saved By The Bell, WKRP In Cincinnati, Gunsmoke, Dragnet, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bugs Bunny and the Beaver’s disastrous haircut on Leave It To Beaver.

Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McAllister in "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York."

Help me spread the news: My list No. 36 has many of your favorite films, too: A Christmas Story; It’s A Wonderful Life; National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation; White Christmas; Four Christmases; Elf; the Home Alone and Santa Clause trilogies; The Polar Express; The Preacher’s Wife; The Bishop’s Wife; Bing Crosby’s Going My Way; Fred Claus; Jack Frost; Prancer Returns; Call Me Claus; King of Kings; The Greatest Story Ever Told; Laurel & Hardy’s Babes In Toyland; and lots of adaptations of A Christmas Carol.

And here’s some news: Not everything in my list is old. TV’s gifts to viewers this year include a new animated Reindeer in Here (Nov. 29 and Dec. 16); Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (Dec. 1); another CMA Country Christmas (Dec. 8); the Backstreet Boys’ A Very Backstreet Holiday and John Legend’s Finding Harmony shot in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio (both on Dec. 14); and Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All (Dec. 20, CBS).

Peanuts fans will only find A Charlie Brown Christmas on Apple TV+ this year, although it’s free Dec. 22-25.

Al and Wanda Lewis with sidekick Lucky the Clown on the "Uncle Al Show."

Cincinnati natives will enjoy the nostalgic WCPO-TV Cincinnati’s Uncle Al retrospective, which premiered in November, that repeats Christmas Eve, along with WLWT-TV’s nostalgic shows about 1960s talk show hosts Ruth Lyons and Paul Dixon.

My guide also is a feast for the ears. I’ve included holiday highlights from Cincinnati Public Radio (which has hosted my blog since 2015, enabling me to continue doing what I love) such as NPR’s Tinsel Tales, Candles Burning Brightly, Christmas with the Morehouse & Spelman Glee Clubs, A Paul Winter Solstice, Jonathan Winters’ A Christmas Carol and a Jazz Piano Christmas.

One more thing to know: This list is limited mostly to broadcast network primetime shows. Many repeat during the day or overnight. I can't list ALL channels — or all the streaming services — so check onscreen or online guides for shows not in my list; for daytime or afternoon repeats; for streaming programs or last-minute schedule changes.

Enjoy!

Here’s the link to my downloadable PDF.